Sir Paul McCartney’s £10million London mansion is burgled by RAIDERS just days before his homecoming gig in Liverpool

Sir Paul McCartney’s £10million London mansion is burgled by RAIDERS just days before his homecoming gig in Liverpool

Metropolitan Police officers were sent to his house at around 6.20pm last Friday
Just days before he performed gig at his home city of Liverpool on Wednesday
His spokesman would not say whether Sir Paul or his wife were in London at time
No arrests have yet been made but police inquiries into the burglary continue

By SEBASTIAN SHAKESPEARE FOR THE DAILY MAIL and JAMES WOOD FOR MAILONLINE

Police are investigating after thieves broke into Sir Paul McCartney’s £10million London home just days before his homecoming gig in Liverpool.

The Metropolitan Police has confirmed that officers responded to a break-in at the property last Friday where they found ‘signs of forced entry’.

With a local reporting seeing flashing blue lights and around four or five police cars in the area that night.

But determined not to let the incident prevent him launching the UK leg of his Freshen Up tour, Sir Paul took to the stage in Liverpool on Wednesday.

His spokesman declines to say whether Sir Paul or his third wife, Nancy Shevell, (pictured together at Buckingham Palace in May) were in London at the time the intruders struck +10
His spokesman declines to say whether Sir Paul or his third wife, Nancy Shevell, (pictured together at Buckingham Palace in May) were in London at the time the intruders struck

Paul McCartney rolled back the years to deliver a masterclass as he returned to Liverpool to launch his new UK tour – just days after his home was targeted by burglars in London +10
Paul McCartney rolled back the years to deliver a masterclass as he returned to Liverpool to launch his new UK tour – just days after his home was targeted by burglars in London

Recalling the incident, a local told the Daily Mail: ‘There were blue flashing lights and police everywhere — four or five cars.

‘All the lights were on in the house. The police were all over it.’

A Metropolitan Police spokesman confirms that officers responded to a break-in at 6.20pm last Friday. ‘We attended and identified signs of forced entry,’ he said.

Sir Paul, 76, had performed in Austrian capital Vienna the night before.

His spokesman declines to say whether Sir Paul or his third wife, Nancy Shevell, were in London at the time the intruders struck.

But the incident will inevitably be a cause for concern to McCartney, who, say locals, does his utmost to live a normal life in London.

‘He walks around without a bodyguard, chats with people, walks in the park,’ says one. ‘But he does get people hanging around.

‘The house has got cameras all over it, so I don’t know how they got in. It must be worrying. After what happened to John Lennon, you’ve got to be pretty bloody careful.’

The Metropolitan Police say that no arrests have been made and their inquiries continue.

The former Beatles singer did not let the incident phase him as he took to the stage in Liverpool on Wednesday.

And delivered a full, 38-song package to launch the UK leg of his Freshen Up tour – scheduled to last until December 16 where he will perform at London’s 02 Arena.

There was a cheer as he walked onstage – fist-bumping the air and shrugging in mock surprise – and an even louder one to greet the iconic opening chord of A Hard Day’s Night.

He delivered a bold mix of hits with equally-deserving, if lesser-known, gems, and showed just how much joy he still gets from playing them.

Sir Paul has previously expressed concern over the possibility of thieves targeting his home in north London.

In 2009 his security team reportedly asked for the property to be removed from Google Street View after Sir Paul became ‘unsettled’ that people could see it online.

It came at a time when the search engine giant’s service was under fire over its possible use by burglars to research targets.

The incident will inevitably be a cause for concern to McCartney, who, say locals, does his utmost to live a normal life in London. He is pictured here with wife Nancy

This latest burglary is certainly not the first time the home of a former Beatles member has been targeted.

George Harrison and his wife were victims of an attempted burglary in December 1999 by a knife-wielding intruder.

The then 54-year-old was stabbed several times during the break-in at his secluded mansion in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire.

The attack only ended only when his wife knocked the intruder unconscious with an oil lamp.

The attacker was later found not guilty of attempted murder by reason of insanity, and was sent to a secure psychiatric hospital. He was released in 2002.

Razor wire fencing was erected around the sprawling mansion following the attack as a means of deterring any further trespassers.

Macca’s security scare also comes around 38 years to the day that Lennon was murdered in New York.

The beloved Beatle died at the age of 40 on December 8, 1980 when he was gunned down by Mark David Chapman four times in the back at close range in the archway of the singer’s New York home The Dakota.

In March this year, the widow of ‘fifth Beatle’ Sir George Martin was targeted by masked burglars – locking herself in the bathroom as they entered.

Judy Martin, 89, dialed 999 after discovering two intruders at her house in an Oxfordshire village. Uniformed officers arrived with sirens blaring within minutes, forcing the pair to flee empty-handed.

Lady Martin, once a secretary at Abbey Road music studios, married Sir George four years after he walked out on his first wife in 1962 – the year he signed the Beatles.

Her husband went on to enjoy a remarkable career in which he produced more than 700 records and worked with some of the world’s greatest talents.

The 89-year-old widow of the ‘fifth Beatle’ Sir George Martin, Judy, locked herself in the bathroom in terror as masked burglars forced their way into her home

As well as the Fab Four, whose members he worked with over four decades, he helped produce music for Sting, Jose Carreras and Celine Dion.

Celebrities have been targeted by opportunistic thieves over the years for the valuables thought to be held in their homes.

Footballers including Steven Gerrard, Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard have all been targeted by thieves in the past.

In 2007 Gerrard became the sixth player from his then club Liverpool to be hit by thieves in 18 months.

The midfielder was targeted by a gang of raiders who stole thousands of pounds of jewelry and possessions from the house.

Many of the burglaries happened during matches and Liverpool FC pledged that they would consider beefing up security on players’ homes during matches.

Just a few months ago, the home of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver was targeted by a burglar – who had apparently tried to break into several other lavish homes on the same street in north London.

The TV chef and restaurateur, 43, ‘went absolutely mad’ when he found out what was happening and pinned the burglar to the ground while neighbours called 999 on Tuesday night.

Other stars believed to live on the road include Kate Moss and Jude Law, with neighbours at the time calling the star chef a ‘hero’.

The homes of both Jamie Oliver and Steven Gerrard have in the past been targeted by opportunistic thieves hoping the celebrities might have valuables inside

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